世せ界かい

せ

か

い

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 200

Meanings

noun

the world; society; the universe

Broadest sense: the entire physical world, human society, or the universe as a whole.

世せ界かいにはたくさんの国くにがある。
There are many countries in the world.
世せ界かいの平へい和わを願ねがう。
I wish for world peace.

noun

sphere; circle; world

A particular social or professional realm, such as the art world or business world.

彼かれは芸げい術じゅつの世せ界かいで有ゆう名めいだ。
He is famous in the art world.
ビジネスの世せ界かいは厳きびしい。
The business world is tough.

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

world-renowned; world-famous

Used as a no-adjective in compounds like 世界的 (worldwide) or 世界一 (best in the world).

彼かれは世せ界かい的てきに有ゆう名めいな科か学がく者しゃだ。
He is a world-famous scientist.
この店みせのラーメンは世せ界かい一いちおいしいと思おもう。
I think this shop's ramen is the best in the world.

noun

Buddhist realm; space

Buddhism

Buddhist term: a realm or world system governed by a single Buddha. Original meaning of the word.

仏ぶっ教きょうでは、一ひとつの世せ界かいは一人ひとりの仏ほとけが教きょう化けする領りょう域いきとされる。
In Buddhism, one world is considered the realm where a single Buddha teaches.

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Usage patterns

世せ界かいを旅たびするto travel the world
彼かれは仕し事ごとを辞やめて世せ界かいを旅たびすることにした。
He quit his job and decided to travel the world.
〈事こと〉の世せ界かいに入はいるto enter the world/sphere of (a certain field)
彼かの女じょは音おん楽がくの世せ界かいに入はいって十じゅう年ねんになる。
It's been ten years since she entered the world of music.
世せ界かいで一いち番ばん〈形けい容よう詞し〉the most ... in the world
この山やまは世せ界かいで一いち番ばん高たかい山やまだ。
This mountain is the tallest in the world.
〈物もの〉を世せ界かいに広ひろめるto spread something to the world; to make something known worldwide
この技ぎ術じゅつを世せ界かいに広ひろめたいと思おもっている。
I want to spread this technology to the world.

Expressions· 8

世せ界かい全ぜん体たいthe entire world; the whole world; the world stage
世せ界かい公こう民みんcitizen of the world; world citizen
世せ界かいに誇ほこるworld-class; of high global reputation
世せ界かいの果はてend of the world; farthest corner of the earth
迷まよいの世せ界かいworld of the lost; human realm; this world

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世せ界かいが広ひろがるone's horizons broaden; one's world expands
世せ界かいを舞ぶ台たいにglobally; on the global stage; on a worldwide level
貧ひんは世せ界かいの福ふくの神かみpoverty is the greatest motivator; poverty is the mother of invention

Kanji

世generation, world, society
界world, boundary

Related words· 9

世よの中なかN3sense 1
世の中 focuses on human society and everyday life, while 世界 can mean the whole physical world, the universe, or an abstract realm.
地ち球きゅうN4sense 1
地球 refers specifically to the planet Earth, whereas 世界 is broader and can include human society or a particular sphere of activity.
社しゃ会かいN4sense 2
社会 denotes human society or community, while 世界 in this sense refers more broadly to a particular field or sphere, such as the art or business world.
ワールド
世界 is the everyday, native Japanese word for 'world' usable in any context, while ワールド is a loanword mostly limited to compound terms like ワールドカップ.

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天てん下かN1
世界 is the plain, everyday word for “the world,” while 天下 carries a grander, more literary or historical tone.
界かいN2
世界 means 'world' in a broad, general sense, while 界 is a suffix attached to a noun to name a specific social or professional sphere, e.g. 政界 (the political world).
世よN1
世界 is the concrete, everyday word for the world as a place, while 世 is shorter and tends to appear in literary or fixed expressions about society at large.
全ぜん世せ界かい
世界 is the plain, general word for 'the world', while 全世界 explicitly stresses the entirety or totality of the world.
万ばん国こく
世界 refers to the world as a single unified whole, whereas 万国 emphasizes the collection of individual nations.

Don't confuse with

世せ界かい観かん
世界 just means 'the world' itself, while 世界観 means one's perspective on or the constructed setting of that world.

Word family· 85

世せ界かい中じゅうN4
around the world; throughout the world
世せ界かい一いち
best in the world; number one in the world
別べっ世せ界かい
another world; a different world; a separate world
銀ぎん世せ界かい
snowscape; world covered in snow
三さん千ぜん世せ界かい
the whole universe (Buddhist cosmology) · the whole wide world; the entire universe

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月げっ世せ界かい
moon; lunar world · Tsukisekai (sweet)
世せ界かい的てきN3
worldwide; global; international · world-famous; world-class
世せ界かい人じん
cosmopolitan; world citizen
世せ界かい像ぞう
world picture; image of the world; Weltbild
世せ界かい初はつ
world's first; first in the world
世せ界かい博はく
world expo; world fair
世せ界かい史し
world history; international history
世せ界かい性せい
universality; global nature
世せ界かい新しん
new world record
世せ界かい樹じゅ
world tree
世せ界かい点てん
world point

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Written forms

世せ界かいUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
セカイUsage<1%

Etymology

Originally a Buddhist term referring to the realm of a Buddha, composed of 世 (world, generation) and 界 (boundary, area). Later extended to mean the world in general.